Majin Magic: The Guardian Saga
by Nate Grey
Summary: CCS and DBZ crossover. A magical mixup leaves a pudgy, pink demon named Buu in the hands of Sakura. But is Sakura in more danger of being corrupted by Buu, or her best friend Tomoyo?
1. Sake Spells

Note: I hope I don't rate this TOO high. I don't so much include naughty things here, as I include IMPLICATIONS of naughty things. Some people would argue that's two different ratings, others wouldn't.

Warning: You should be familiar with Sakura's heritage if you want this to make sense. Also, you should be familiar with the final sagas in DBZ (from around the time Gohan entered high school, up to, but not including, DBGT).

Summary: A single (drunken) mistake with magic changes two universes forever. In one, two Guardians find themselves with a cruel new master, and in the other, a young girl gets some unexpected lessons from an unlikely companion.

**Majin Magic: The Guardian Saga**

**A Cardcaptor Sakura/Dragonball Z Crossover by**

**Nate Grey (XMAN0123-at-aol-dot-com)**

_Chapter 1: Sake Spells_

Keroberos wandered into his Master's study, not because he was curious, but because he felt he was needed.

Clow Reed was sitting in his favorite chair, sipping green tea. "Anything the matter, Keroberos?" he asked calmly, not looking up from his work.

Keroberos stopped at his Master's side. "No. Could I be of some assistance?"

Clow looked at him and smiled: that fond, endearing expression that rarely failed to win anyone over. "Of course. I was just jotting down some ideas for future reference."

That was an understatement, Keroberos realized as his gaze landed on the roll of parchment. A very big one, to say the least.

The parchment was absolutely covered in Clow's light, graceful script. Though several areas were beyond the faithful Guardian, he was able to get the gist, more or less. Clow had detailed certain events, all of which were to take place centuries from that moment. It was impossible, of course, to know what significance they had, because Keroberos had never heard of any of the people and places involved.

"I thought perhaps I should be more detailed," Clow murmured. "What do you say?"

Keroberos sweatdropped. "I think the future generations will manage."

"It's good that you have such faith in them," Clow added mysteriously.

"Master?"

But Clow was already putting the parchment aside. "You must never underestimate the power of the human spirit, Keroberos. Even without magic, they have the potential to do great things."

"And with magic?"

Clow smiled again. "Ah, with it…" He sighed lightly, reaching out to stroke the Guardian's head. "Wonderful times, my friend. Wonderful, marvelous, astounding times…"

Keroberos frowned. His Master was generally an amiable person, but he seemed a little too joyful this night. "Is everything all right, Master?"

"You worry too much, Kero-chan," Clow replied slowly, and with obvious difficulty.

Keroberos's left eye twitched. "Kero-cha…? Master, I DEMAND you tell me what-"

"There's no need to shout." Clow picked up his tea again, giggling softly to himself.

"Master," Keroberos chided sternly.

"Hmm?" Clow asked, bringing the cup to his lips.

"That is NOT tea, is it?"

"I never said it was, Keroberos."

The Guardian's other eye twitched. "You know you shouldn't drink while composing such crucial documents. Even the slightest mistake could doom an entire race to-"

"SILENCE!" Clow cried.

Instantly, a sour-looking, blue-tinted woman appeared and shushed Keroberos.

He quickly found himself outside, in the fountain, and soaking wet. "No good will come of this," he sighed. He slid out of the fountain, drying himself off as much as possible with a good shake.

Yue happened to approach the fountain at that moment. He paused upon spotting the other Guardian, and simply stared at him, as if to say, "What have you gotten yourself into now, you silly beast?" Yue's expressions had a way of speaking volumes, which was good since he rarely ever did, and yet bad, because Keroberos HATED those kind of looks.

"Not a word," the damp Guardian warned with a growl as he stalked past in search of a towel. And then, under his breath: "NO good will come of this. I just KNOW it!"

Yue turned to watch him go, blinked, and continued on his way, impassive as ever, but with perhaps a bit more pleasure in his step than was normal.

* * *

_Centuries Later, In Another World_

"Well, wizard," Frieza purred in a dangerous sort of way. "It certainly has taken you long enough to gather all the necessary energy. But if even half your claims are true, this creature will be more than worth the wait."

"I assure you he is, Lord Frieza!" Babidi chuckled, patting the large ball confidently. "Majin Buu is an unstoppable destructive force!"

"We shall see. And if he is not," Frieza continued, his white tail stretching out to curl gently around Babidi's neck, "then I shall squeeze the little life out of you that remains."

Sweating nervously, Babidi injected the last of the energy into the ball, which immediately began to pulse even more. After a few moments, a single, long crack appeared in its surface, and the ball split down the middle, spewing out pink gas.

"He's here! He's finally here!" Babidi crowed. "MAJIN BUU IS HE-"

But it was not Majin Buu. At least, Babidi didn't think so. While he'd never actually seen the infamous demon, he was fairly certain that whatever he was looking at now should've been very disappointing.

The slight, silver-haired young man glanced around nervously. "Nani?" he whispered, his eyes wide with confusion. He was notably wingless and looked about as threatening as a pillow without the stuffing.

Beside him was a tiny, bear-shaped creature (with wings, also very tiny) wearing a frown. "I just KNEW we'd be the ones to get screwed in this mess," he muttered angrily.

The boy noticed the creature, stared, and then began to scream hysterically.

Frieza's tail tightened around Babidi's neck. "Farewell, wizard…"

Something splashed against the boy's back, and he screamed even louder upon seeing it was blood.

The bear creature's eyes widened. "What has that fool magician gotten us into!"

Frieza stared at the frightened boy with obvious interest. "It appears I'll need a new source of entertainment. And I think you two could prove to be…quite a bit of fun." The Changeling lord licked his violet lips in anticipation.

The boy sweatdropped…but, for some odd reason, was not quite as repulsed as he perhaps should've been.

The bear creature sweatdropped as well. "Wait a minute. If we're here, then…WHO'S GUARDING THE BOOK!"

* * *

_Some Other Timer, In Yet Another World_

Kinomouto Sakura was not a snoop. At least, not usually.

But today was different. Today, there was no one home, she was utterly bored, and the basement just seemed to call to her. And though she knew nothing was down there but her father's old, dusty books, maybe one of them would spark an interest in something her father enjoyed.

"What's this?" he would say, upon coming home and finding her pouring through a book on ancient artifacts. He'd beam at her affectionately and ask, "Are you going to become my apprentice, aijou?"

To which Sakura would vehemently deny ever finding archaeology the slightest bit interesting and never be caught with the aforementioned book again. But at least it would give her something to do.

She almost envied Touya, with his after school jobs. He probably never got bored. But then, between the jobs, homework, and chores around the house, he probably didn't have time to be bored. And Sakura would much rather be bored occasionally than to have no time to herself at all.

The basement was exactly what Sakura expected it to be: still, silent, and extremely dusty. The only light originated from a small window that was just above ground level, but too high for her to reach without help.

Sakura went straight to the bookshelves, occasionally brushing her finger along the dusty spine of a book that looked slightly interesting. She made her way up and down the aisles, then back again. On the third time around, she must've brushed a book a little too hard, because the next thing she knew, there was a growing bump on her head, and a large book on the floor.

Once the pain faded, she picked the book up and decided to browse through it, as a sort of revenge for it hurting her (although, again, that was probably her fault). There was an odd weight to it that was more difficult to handle than it was heavy, but she managed to get the book onto her father's desk in the corner.

The cover was a dark violet, surrounded by golden trim. There had once been some sort of seal in the center, but it had long since faded away. All that remained was a black, bold, stylized letter M.

Sakura placed her hands on the cover, as if trying to will the meaning of the letter to her mind. She wracked her brain for every word that she thought might apply. There was no way for her to know that even if she'd named every word she knew, she would never come across the right one.

But there was no need. She had answered the call, and touched the book. That was more than enough.

The clasp on the side of the book unlocked itself in silence, sensing the blood of its creator.

Sakura gasped as the book suddenly flew open, and yanked her hands back just in time to avoid having them flattened by the cover. "Hey! What…" She trailed off upon spotting a strange card inside the book. "The Mirror? Is that what the M stands for?"

The card began to glow bright pink, and seemed to be trying to pry itself from the book.

Startled but fascinated by the odd sight, Sakura carefully plucked the card loose. The glow faded at once, but the card felt warm in her hand. She picked up the next one, but there was no warmth. "Windy," she murmured faintly.

Something large and white flew out of the second card, and before Sakura knew what was happening, she was trapped in the center of a tornado of cards. She threw up her arms to shield her face, shrieking and tightly gripping the two cards. She thought she could hear the window breaking, but it was impossible to be sure over all the noise.

At some point, she became aware that she was not the only one shrieking, and that the winds were gone.

Sakura hesitantly uncovered her face.

There was a hollow, rectangular hole where the cards had been resting in the book. Now, there was only one card left inside it: The Power.

Standing on top of that card was a tiny, pink, pudgy…thing. The creature was wearing a black vest, a purple cape, yellow gloves and boots, and what seemed to be a large diaper. It was the other source of the shrieking, Sakura realized as it continued to do so.

It suddenly occurred to her that maybe that was her fault.

Without warning, the creature's wails increased tenfold, and its arms, along with four other appendages that suddenly grew out of its belly, extended up into the air and out of the shattered window.

Sakura continued to stare as the extra arms eventually returned, gripping a few more of the scattered cards. The creature stuffed the cards back into the book, then tore off his four extra arms, shaping them into a single rubbery strip before laying it over the cards, apparently as a way to keep them from flying off again. Then it began to count the cards, which was a very long process. For one thing, it couldn't seem to get past six, and for another, every time it recounted, it started with a different number.

Finally, Sakura cleared her throat quietly.

The creature spun around, glared, and pointed at her with a gloved hand. "BUU!" it shouted angrily.

Sakura blinked. "Huh?"

A massive pink fireball suddenly appeared above the creature's hand, and it grinned wickedly at her.

"Hey…w-what are you doing?" Sakura cried, backing away. "Stop that!"

"STEALER!" the creature cried angrily. "YOU NO STEAL FROM BUU AGAIN!" With a vicious laugh, it launched the fireball straight at Sakura.

"NO!" Sakura screamed, covering her head with her hands and crouching as she felt the incredible heat draw nearer…

* * *

Next Chapter: What Friends Are For

Sakura enlists the aid of her best friend, Tomoyo…which, as it turns out, might not have been her best idea.


	2. What Friends Are For

_Chapter 2: What Friends Are For_

Sakura waited for the intense pain, but it never came. Confused (and very much afraid), she slowly lowered her arms.

The creature was right in her face, hovering an inch or so away from her nose. It seemed to be studying her face closely, almost as if it was trying to remember her. She noticed, with some dismay, that it had not gotten rid of the fireball, but had merely put it to the side for the moment.

"Um… hello," she said at last, waving nervously and slowly, so she wouldn't scare it.

The creature tilted its head a bit, then flew closer. The skin that extended from its head to form a long, curious appendage moved slightly, then reached out to brush Sakura's nose.

Sakura held in a scream and tried to look calm (failing miserably all the while).

Finally, the creature backed off a little. "Buu," it said, frowning.

Sakura frowned as well. "Haven't you scared me enough by now?"

The creature blinked, then shook its head. "Buu! BUU!" it said again, waving its arms for emphasis.

"Look, that's just mean!" Sakura said, really starting to dislike the creature.

The creature sighed and pointed to itself. "BUU," it stated firmly.

"Oh. That's…your name?"

"Buu!" it agreed at once, smiling proudly.

"Okay." Sakura wasn't sure what to make of that, but wanting to be polite, pointed at herself. "Sakura."

Buu stared at her, clearly not understanding.

Sakura sighed. "SAA-ku-RAA," she said slowly, stretching it out.

Buu said nothing.

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Buu," she said, pointing at him.

He nodded rapidly.

"Sakura," she went on, pointing at herself. "SAA-ku-RAA."

Buu scratched his head.

She groaned. "It means cherry blossom. Can you say cherry?"

"Cherries!" Buu shouted at once, licking his lips.

"No, no, I don't HAVE any; that's what my name means."

Buu deflated, looking very disappointed.

"What's your name mean?"

Buu paused, then beamed. "Buu!" He flew over to the book and shut it, then landed on the cover. "Buu!" he said again, pointing at the M. "Majin Buu!"

"Oh, I get it!" Sakura replied, brightening. She pointed at herself again. "Kinomouto Sakura!"

Buu stared. "Girl?" he said at last.

Sakura sighed in defeat. "Yes," she agreed. "Girl."

"Girl help Buu!"

"Help you with what?"

"Girl help Buu get Cards back!"

"Well…okay. It is my fault they're gone, I guess. But…um…can you get rid of THAT first, please?" Sakura asked, pointing at the huge fireball.

Without a word, Buu gestured slightly, and the fireball went flying out of the window. A second later, a pink explosion lit up the afternoon sky.

"Okay, rule number one. When I say get rid of something, that means to do it QUIETLY, in a way that HALF THE TOWN WON'T NOTICE!"

Buu laughed and hopped on her shoulder. "Girl funny!"

Suddenly, there was a voice from above them.

"Sakura, I'm home!"

Sakura's eyes widened. "Tousan! Buu, you've got to hide!"

The odd appendage on Buu's head waved, and the book he'd come out of floated over to them…and transformed into a thinner book on Tarot cards before it dropped neatly into Sakura's hands.

"H-how did you do that?" Sakura asked in awe.

Instead of answering, Buu turned into a pink bookmark and slid neatly into the pages of book.

Sakura shook her head and quickly ran upstairs. "Did you call me, tousan?" she asked as she spotted her father in the kitchen. "I was in the basement."

An odd light seemed to reflect off her father's glasses. "What's that you have there?"

"This? Oh, it's a book on Tarot cards I found. Could I borrow it for a while?"

Her father stared at the book for a moment. "I don't see why not. Let me know if there's anything you don't understand."

Sakura beamed and hugged him. "Thanks, tousan!"

He smiled and kissed her forehead affectionately. "You're welcome, aijou. Have fun with your book."

"I will!" Sakura called, hurrying off to her room.

* * *

There were many things Kero did not like about Lord Frieza.

But none of them was worth mentioning aloud in exchange for his life, so he kept his mouth shut.

So far, the Changeling lord had kept them around purely for entertainment purposes. And that worried Kero, because HE hadn't done any entertaining of any sort, and they'd been there for a whole month. All he'd done was sit on a very comfortable pillow in his very own room.

Something was not right. And he hadn't seen Yukito in a while, either.

Suddenly, the door slid open.

"Let's go, Kero," Zarbon said. "Frieza-sama has summoned you."

Kero flew over and landed on Zarbon's shoulder. "Tell me something. You've worked for him for a while now, right?"

"I have," Zarbon replied, heading to Frieza's chambers.

"So…what exactly does he do to entertain himself?"

"Hmm. There's torture, random destruction, murder. Oh, almost forgot about the sex."

"Oh, the…the SEX!"

Zarbon smirked. "Well, yes. Have you LOOKED at him?"

"What…kind of sex…is he into?" Kero asked, a feeling of dread beginning in his gut.

Zarbon shot him a blank look. "You haven't noticed the way he's always licking his lips when Yukito walks by?"

"I…thought he was just hungry?" Kero asked weakly.

"Well, he was…" Zarbon replied. "But not for food."

Kero sweatdropped. "Geez, this is bad."

"Not really. As long as Yukito entertains him, you stay alive. I'd say it's good for you…and even better for Yukito."

"What!"

"Nothing. Here we are." Zarbon knocked on the door, even as it slid open. "Frieza-sama, I've brought…" Zarbon's cultured tongue froze in his mouth at the sight before him. Kero nearly fell off his shoulder.

Frieza sat on the floor, working on a painting. He was quite nude, but it was nothing (unfortunately) both Zarbon and Kero hadn't seen before.

Perched on the bed, obviously the subject of Frieza's painting, was a tall, slender angel with his wings outstretched.

"Yue…!" Kero breathed in shock.

Yue glanced at him. "Be silent, Keroberos. The Master…is painting."

"The…Master! Yue…you…this isn't…"

"Something the matter, Kero-chan?" Frieza asked, sounding amused.

"I…I…no, Frieza-sama…"

"Good." He put down his paintbrush. "Tell me what you think of my work. Have I captured the true essence of masculinity that is the breathtaking Yue?"

Kero flew to Frieza's shoulder…and instantly wished he hadn't.

Frieza was indeed a talented artist. He seemed mainly interested in a certain part of Yue's anatomy. Because it took up the entire painting. And, much to Kero's horror, it had WINGS.

"Well, Kero-chan?"

Kero shuddered. "Magnificent, Frieza-sama."

"You think so, too?" Frieza chuckled. "Seriously, though, I meant the painting, not him."

Kero closed his eyes. "May I be excused, Frieza-sama? I'm not sure my stomach can handle all this…greatness…"

"I hope you're feeling better tomorrow, Kero," Frieza said, patting his head. "You see, Yue's told me all about his transformation…and yours. And I would very much like to paint your true form as well."

"Yes, Frieza-sama," Kero replied, glaring at the other Guardian. "That sounds…lovely…"

"Doesn't it?" Frieza smiled and admired Yue again. "I'm SO glad I kept you two around."

* * *

"And that's the whole story," Sakura sighed. "What do you think I should do, Tomoyo-chan?"

In desperation, Sakura had turned to her best friend for answers. Daidouji Tomoyo was very observant, and as a result, she was almost always the best person to get advice from, as far as Sakura was concerned. Of course, up until now, all of Sakura's problems had been relatively normal, and therefore were within Tomoyo's ability to advise upon. This latest one, however, was something totally different.

Tomoyo didn't answer for a long time, instead feeding Buu another piece of chocolate and watching him gobble it down. Finally, she turned to her friend.

"I have no idea."

Sakura sweatdropped. "Tomoyo-chan, that doesn't really help at all…"

"I'm sorry, Sakura-chan," Tomoyo apologized, patting her hand gently. "But you'll have to forgive me for being stumped when you tell me that you have an alien for a pet."

"I didn't ask for this!" Sakura whined. "He just…I don't know…came at me. Sort of."

"I guess you'll have to keep him in your room. I can understand why he'd want his cards back, but honestly, it sounds a little dangerous for you. On the other hand, you probably can't tell too many people about this, either."

"I don't think I have a choice, Tomoyo-chan. Buu says these cards of his can be really destructive if they're not handled right. I'm sure he would help me; after all, he can't really expect a normal girl like me to fight aliens by myself, can he?"

"You never know. Maybe they do it all the time where he's from. I'd feel better if you had some sort of professional helping, but I guess that's out of the question. I'll just have to go with you, then."

Sakura's eyes widened. "What? Tomoyo-chan, I can't let you do that! What if you get hurt?"

"What if YOU get hurt?" Tomoyo countered.

"Um…well…I…don't know," Sakura admitted slowly.

"Safety in numbers, Sakura-chan. And since we can't tell anyone, three is about the best we can hope for."

"Oh…but…" Sakura was at a complete loss. She didn't like the thought of Tomoyo being in danger, too, but at the same time, she didn't think she was up to the task herself, with or without Buu's help.

"We'll both just have to be careful," Tomoyo said. "Anyway, it's in Buu's best interest to protect us. No one else would believe him, would they?" She said this last part quite loudly, and sure enough, Buu stopped eating and looked up at them.

"Girls help Buu get Cards, Buu guard girls," Buu agreed, nodding his head rapidly.

"There, you see?" Tomoyo asked. "This'll all work out fine, Sakura-chan."

"I hope so," Sakura murmured, wringing her hands nervously.

"Great!" Tomoyo stood up and vanished into her walk-in closet. "Now, the first thing we'll need is some proper attire…"

"Oh! You mean like protective, camouflaged gear?" Sakura asked excitedly. Her face instantly fell as Tomoyo emerged with a black catsuit, complete with kitty ears and a tail. It would probably provide some cover at night, but didn't look very durable at all. "Tomoyo-chan, don't you have anything else?"

"You don't like it?" Tomoyo asked, pouting a bit. "I made it JUST for YOU, Sakura-chan…"

Sakura laughed nervously. "But, um, I'm going to be fighting aliens, Tomoyo-chan. Don't you think there's a good chance it'll at least get dirty, or even worse, ripped to shreds?"

There were times when Tomoyo acted just a bit odd, and this was apparently one of them, because for an instant, Sakura actually thought she saw her best friend drooling a bit, for some unknown reason.

"Oh, I highly doubt it," Tomoyo replied quickly. "We've got Buu, remember? But if you're really worried…"

"Yes! I knew you had more!" Sakura said eagerly.

"You could always wear this French maid outfit over it."

Sakura sweatdropped. "Tomoyo-chan, you can't be serious!"

"I never joke about fashion, Sakura-chan. Now are you going to put these on, or do you need some help?"

Sakura wanted to protest some more, but she realized a few things. There was no talking Tomoyo out of something once she'd set her mind to it. There was no time to delay, since Buu's cards could be up to no good already. And there was NO way Sakura was going to be able to figure out how to put on even one of these costumes, much less both. For some reason, many of Tomoyo's outfits consisted of buckles and flaps, seemingly designed so that you couldn't get them on without help.

Fortunately, Tomoyo was ALWAYS glad to help.

"I need some help," Sakura sighed, resigning herself to her fate as she accepted the costumes.

Tomoyo's eyes seemed to shine. "I'll be with you in a minute. You remember where the full-length mirror is?" she asked, gesturing to the closet.

"Which one?" Sakura asked absently as she vanished inside. "You've got six of them…"

"Oh, the better to see you with from all angles, Sakura-chan!" Tomoyo laughed merrily.

Buu had watched the proceedings with a critical eye, and now came to a rather final decision.

"Girl evil."

Tomoyo glared at him for a moment, before her face lit up with a delighted, innocent smile as she went into the closet. "Oh, no, no, Sakura-chan! You'll have to take ALL that off before you put anything else on!"

"What, AGAIN? How come your clothes are never made with underwear in mind!"

Buu nodded to himself. "Girl evil," he said again, a hint of approval in his tone.

* * *

Next Chapter: Buu's Beautiful Tattoo

Two inhuman engines of destruction roam the land in search of the Majin Book. Meanwhile, in her first attempt at capturing a Card, Sakura begins to wonder if she's fighting for the right side.


	3. Buu's Beautiful Tattoo

Chapter 3: Buu's Beautiful Tattoo

Kero, former Guardian Beast of the Book of Clow, found himself now reduced to hiding inside of a toilet.

At least, he thought it was a toilet. This strange world was filled with all sorts of technology that was completely unidentifiable to someone who had been asleep as long as Kero had.

To make matters worse, he could no longer count Yue as an ally. Granted, they'd never really gotten along, but in the long run, their goals had largely been the same, even if the methods used to accomplish them weren't.

Kero knew instinctively that this world was wrong…at least, it was wrong for them to be in it.

But Yue, for some unknown reason, was adapting all too rapidly, as if things were fine. He had formally recognized Lord Frieza as his Master. Kero had to admit, rather grudgingly, that this was Yue's right as The Judge. However, Yue seemed to have conveniently forgotten that Kero was The Elector, and therefore it was HIS right to choose a proper candidate first.

Not that any of this mattered, since Kero had absolutely no desire for Frieza to learn the secrets of Clow Reed. Unfortunately, since Yue might as well have been wearing a sign that labeled him as Frieza's number one flunky, Frieza DID know a great deal more than Kero would've preferred.

Which was why Kero was hiding inside the toilet in the first place. Yue had told Frieza about their transformations, and Frieza was now eager to witness Kero's.

This was a Very Bad Thing, for several reasons.

First, as Kero had been cut off from all of the Clow Cards, and more specifically, The Firey and The Earthy Cards needed for his transformation, he could no more reach his true form than beat Yue into a bloody pulp. And the latter was starting to become a frequent daydream, frankly.

Second, nothing good would come of it even if Kero did transform. Frieza was both very evil and very powerful. He would no doubt put Kero to work destroying something good and pure.

Third, and most frightening of all, Frieza had certain…tastes. Tastes that were apparently very much varied, because if the rumors were true, there was NOTHING that the Changeling couldn't get off on. Kero certainly had no desire to assume a form where Frieza could better…interact with him.

That, fortunately and disturbingly enough, was rumored to be Yue's job…

* * *

"Hey, Kinomouto! Order up!"

Suppressing a heavy sigh, Touya quickly made his way to the counter and picked up the waiting tray of ice cream. Being a waiter in an ice cream shop wasn't nearly as interesting as he'd hoped, and it was shaping up to be a very long night. It had even gotten to the point where he would've been glad to see Sakura being dragged in by her blatantly lesbian best friend. Tomoyo may have been way too young for him and not the least bit interested, but she was terribly easy on the eyes and entertaining, if nothing else.

As Touya delivered the ice cream and strongly considered taking his break early, he noticed something…odd. Two kids about Sakura's age were standing in the parking lot. He only noticed because they weren't moving at all, just standing there, staring blankly into space. Both were wearing black school uniforms, but Touya didn't recognize them.

Suddenly, the two began to move towards the ice cream shop. As they got closer, Touya could see that they were a boy and a girl. The boy had short brown hair, and the girl had black hair that flowed down her back in two thick braids. What really got Touya's attention was that the braids didn't move, at all, as she walked.

Touya was very big on first impressions. He could usually tell whether he would like someone within the first ten seconds of meeting them. Supposedly, he'd inherited that from his mother. These two kids seemed to radiate a certain wrongness that made his flesh crawl. Just the sight of them made him want to blow off work and go home. The thought of them walking the same streets as his little sister unnerved him to no end.

The two kids never did make it inside the ice cream shop. Mostly because one of them blew it up first.

* * *

"I'm starting to think this was a really bad idea," Sakura whimpered.

Tomoyo had to agree with her friend. After all, she was holding some pretty damning evidence in her very hands: her video camera.

For two whole hours now, they'd watched the strange blue girl in the park beat up anyone who passed by for no particular reason (although Tomoyo thought she'd seen the girl pocket a few wallets). From all indications, the girl was a born fighter and possessed superhuman strength.

Sakura, on the other hand, was armed with some tiny claws that might hurt a bit worse than a pinch.

Needless to say, things weren't looking so good.

Tomoyo didn't mind a catfight getting a bit rough, personally, but she had no desire to see Sakura get seriously hurt.

Buu wasn't much help, either. He kept demonstrating a punch combo that he thought would be very effective, but Sakura was far too scared to pay him much attention.

"Buu, isn't there another way to catch her?" Tomoyo finally asked. "Sakura can't exactly just walk up and start pounding on her; she'd be creamed."

Sakura would've been offended, if she didn't completely agree. "She's right. I've never really had to fight anyone…"

Buu frowned and scratched his head. Then he laughed, as if struck by a stroke of genius, and stuck his gloved thumbs in his mouth. The girls watched in wonder as Buu blew air into his yellow gloves, inflating them until they were slightly bigger than normal boxing gloves. That done, he simply removed the gloves and handed them to Sakura.

Still a bit hesitant, Sakura slipped the gloves on, and nearly shrieked in surprise as they automatically tightened around her hands and began jabbing at the air in front of her. "What's going on? I can't control them!"

"Buu fight!" Buu cheered, waving his hands as the gloves mimicked his movements.

"Oh, I get it," Tomoyo said. "They're his gloves, so they punch when he does. I think. All you have to do is follow their lead…I hope."

"But I'm not as strong as she is!" Sakura insisted.

Buu didn't seem at all worried as he pulled off his boots and began to inflate them as well. "Buu plenty strong! Just do everything like Buu!"

Sakura put the boots on, too, and the instant they tightened around her feet, she began to do an odd little war dance, hopping on one foot and then the other. Before she knew it, she'd hopped out of the bushes and in plain view of the blue girl. "Wait, Buu! I'm not ready yet!" she cried.

The blue girl scowled and charged at Sakura like an enraged bull.

"HELP ME!" Sakura screamed at the top of her lungs as the boots dragged her forward, the gloves spinning her arms like windmills.

"This is going to get ugly," Tomoyo murmured, raising her video camera. "But at least I'll get to nurse her back to health."

Amazingly enough, Buu's gloves seemed to know what they were doing. As the two girls met in the center of the park, the right glove abruptly threw a punch that rocked the blue girl's head to the side. The left glove immediately followed with a huge uppercut that sent the blue girl tumbling to the ground. This was pretty impressive, since no one had landed a hit on her all night.

But it only seemed to injure the blue girl's pride, and make her even angrier as she quickly got up and closed the distance between them. She connected with a solid kick to ribs, and Sakura flew through the air, crashing through a wooden bench several feet away.

"Girl not very good," Buu observed with apparent disappointment as Sakura's whimpers of pain reached them.

"Well, we told you that," Tomoyo pointed out, slightly annoyed and growing more worried by the second.

"Buu fix!" Buu declared confidently. He floated into the air, his floppy pink forelock waving from side to side. It stopped when it was pointing straight at the ruined park bench that Sakura was still trying to free herself from.

Tomoyo watched in horror as Buu fired a large bolt of pink lightning at Sakura, resulting in an explosion that momentarily blinded her. When she could see again, the bench was gone, and Sakura was lying facedown in a crater. "BUU! Why did you zap Sakura!"

"Girl better now," Buu insisted. "Girl win easy now!"

Tomoyo was seconds away from hitting Buu with her video camera when she noticed that her friend was indeed moving again.

Sakura slowly struggled to her feet, probably still suffering from the effects of Buu's 'help' and plowing through a bench. Her face was pale and weary, at least, until something black emerged on her forehead. Her eyes took on a pinkish glow as her mouth twisted into a terrible sneer. With a howl of rage, Sakura threw herself at the blue girl, battering her so mercilessly that Buu's gloves failed to properly channel her attacks, falling away in ragged pieces.

Had anyone asked her, Tomoyo would've said that Sakura didn't have a violent bone in her body. She glared at Buu. "Just what did you do to her? She's practically feral!"

For some reason, Buu seemed just as surprised. He took aim with his forelock again, firing another pink lightning bolt. Instead of exploding on impact, though, this one vanished into Sakura's back, and she dropped to the ground like a stone.

Tomoyo hesitantly emerged from the bushes, glad to see that Sakura had knocked out the blue girl at some point. She carefully turned Sakura on her back, gently brushing the brown hair out of her face. Whatever the black object on her forehead had been, it was gone now.

Buu hovered over the blue girl, taking aim with his forelock yet again. The blue girl was surrounded by a pink glow, and her body began to shrink until it was the size of a cookie. And then it turned INTO a cookie, though it was just as sour-looking as the original had been. Buu promptly opened his mouth wide and swallowed the cookie whole.

"I don't even want to know," Tomoyo decided, sighing loudly. She turned her attention back to Sakura, so she completely missed the sight of Buu nearly doubling in size. "Let's just go home before-"

Sakura's hands suddenly shot up, wrapping around Tomoyo's throat. Her eyes blazed pink as the skin on her forehead darkened to black, forming a bold letter M. A bone-chilling hiss floated from her mouth as she bared her teeth.

Eyes widening in alarm, Buu transformed his body into a giant pink mallet and began to float towards Sakura's head.

Tomoyo coughed and gasped for air as Sakura's fingers dug into her neck. "Sakura-chan," she wheezed, "it's me. Tomoyo!"

The pink glow faded from Sakura's eyes at once, and the M on her forehead disappeared as well. "Tomoyo-chan?" she whispered, her hands falling to Tomoyo's shoulders. "I can't…what happened? Why do I feel so…" Her eyes rolled up into her head, and she collapsed into Tomoyo's arms.

Taking a deep breath, Tomoyo hugged her friend tighter. "Buu," she said slowly, "tell me EXACTLY what you did to her. Now."

"Buu help!" Buu insisted, crossing his thick arms over his chest. "Buu only wake up girl's sleeping power!"

"Yeah, right! You pretty much had Sakura frothing at the mouth!"

Buu shook his head. "Buu don't know how to change people brains. Buu only know how to make people stronger. Buu only build on what already there."

Tomoyo opened her mouth, but then closed it. Buu clearly wasn't going to change his story, and he had seemed surprised by Sakura's reaction. She'd just assumed that something had gone wrong. But if Buu was telling the truth, then apparently something had gone right. Whatever it was, Tomoyo had a bad feeling that what they'd seen today was only the tip of the iceberg.

* * *

"The Book is not here, Syaoran. Why did we have to stop?"

Li Syaoran slowly turned his dead gaze onto his cousin. "I told you, Meiling. I sensed magic in this place. Wherever the Majin Book lies, there will be magic users near."

Meiling sighed in frustration, hands on her hips. "Fine. But you find them. I'm sick of digging through this rubble, and I'm bored, too."

Syaoran closed his eyes and sniffed the night air, inhaling the faint but definite scent of magic. He took a few steps forward and stopped, opening his eyes.

There was a hand sticking out of the debris in front of him. Intrigued, Syaoran waved his hand, sending debris flying away in a small tornado. Sure enough, the hand was still attached to an unconscious teenager.

"I have our magic user, Meiling. Not very strong, but he's the first we've come across in a long while. Perhaps this is a sign that we are headed in the right direction."

"Can you use him?"

"No. He is weak, and…pure." Syaoran said the word as if it were a curse. "His magic must have protected him from my attack."

"Then can I break him?" Meiling asked eagerly, cracking her knuckles loudly.

He frowned. "You shouldn't. He may know something useful."

She shrugged. "So I'll break him slowly, and leave his mouth for last."

"Your constant need for amusement isn't healthy, Meiling. We are on a mission."

Meiling pouted. "You're no fun, Syaoran. It's not fair that you get to do damage, and I don't!"

Syaoran rolled his eyes. "Fine. The next time we need to destroy something, I'll let you handle it."

"You swear?" she demanded at once.

Syaoran sighed. "I swear on the sacred blood that runs through both our bodies."

Meiling brightened at once, flinging herself at her cousin and planting a loud kiss on his cheek. "Thank you, Syaoran!"

"Yes, yes," Syaoran muttered, pushing her away. "Pick him up and let's move on."

Meiling obeyed without protest, grabbing the unconscious teen's arm and dragging him along behind her.

* * *

"Ow," Sakura moaned softly as Tomoyo's hand brushed a tender spot on her hip.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Sakura-chan!" Tomoyo apologized, dropping a quick kiss on her friend's forehead.

"That's…okay," Sakura whispered, shutting her eyes and trying to go back to sleep. She'd been drifting in and out since first waking up in Tomoyo's bed, but usually only stayed conscious long enough to receive a few kisses and careful hugs before passing out again. Sakura didn't mind being held, even with all her bruises, and had long ago learned to tolerate Tomoyo's frequent kisses. Really, it was only being in Tomoyo's bed that bothered her, but she didn't have much choice in the matter. She feared it was just too suggestive, and given her current weakened state, she didn't want Tomoyo to get any ideas about…well, anything, knowing Tomoyo the way she did.

"Do you need anything?" Tomoyo asked quietly, selecting an unmarked spot on Sakura's arm and stroking it gently.

"Could you…keep talking? I don't…want to…pass out again."

"Okay. Um…do you feel like talking about what happened tonight?"

"It's a little hazy in my mind. I remember…that girl beating me up…then I beat her up…and then I…" Sakura trailed off, her gaze moving to Tomoyo's neck, which still had faint red marks on it.

Tomoyo quickly pulled up her collar and leaned over to kiss Sakura's nose. "Don't think any more about it."

"But, Tomoyo-chan, I could've-"

"But you didn't," Tomoyo reminded her. "I know you weren't in control. I know you'd never hurt me."

Sakura shook her head. "Buu was right, Tomoyo-chan. He woke up something inside of me. I could hear it whispering in my head. It kept saying the same thing, over and over again."

"What?"

"'Destroy.' In this really deep voice." Sakura shut her eyes. "I don't ever want to hear that voice again."

Tomoyo bit her lip. "But there are more of Buu's cards out there, Sakura-chan."

"Well, I can't possibly get them now. I could barely get the one today, and look how that turned out."

"But you know what to expect now."

"No, I don't. Each card is different, and I don't even know when or if I'll flip out again."

"So you're just going to give up?" Tomoyo asked.

"If it means never hurting you again, then yes," Sakura muttered.

Tomoyo sighed. "You know I'd never hold that against you, Sakura-chan. Just forget it."

"I can't, Tomoyo-chan. You're too important to me. I don't know what I'd do if anything really bad ever happened to you."

Tomoyo couldn't help the smile that crossed her face. She carefully stretched out beside Sakura and draped an arm over her. "Whatever you decide, I'll support you. Just know that I love you, and nothing can change that. Nothing."

"I know," Sakura murmured, already half-asleep.

Smiling to herself, Tomoyo waited a few moments until she was sure that her friend was asleep. Then, she moved closer and lightly brushed her lips against Sakura's. "Sweet dreams, Sakura-chan," Tomoyo whispered, laying her head on Sakura's shoulder. "Everything will be better tomorrow."

* * *

He awoke with a pained groan. His whole body seemed to be one massive ache.

"Oh, look, Syaoran! He's waking up! Quick, come and watch the hopelessness set in! That's always fun!"

Touya blinked, not at all surprised when the blackish blob in front of him became the strange girl he'd seen at the ice cream shop. Nor was he surprised to see the boy she'd been with step into view a second later.

After a few moments, the girl frowned. "Hey. Why aren't you hopeless yet?"

Touya wasn't listening; his eyes took in the dark surroundings, the finger-shaped bruises on his arm, and the strong dislike in the boy's eyes when their gazes met.

"So what are you two?" he asked calmly. "Fallen angels? Zombies? Or just your standard demons in human form?"

"None of your business!" the girl snapped, clearly still upset that Touya wasn't blubbering yet.

"Well, whatever you are, you're obviously out of practice. Otherwise, you'd know I could do this."

Touya's body slumped lifelessly to the ground, just as the girl's suddenly stiffened.

Syaoran stretched out his hand, a powerful magical attack ready to erupt from his fingers. "Meiling?"

"Damn, I hate possessing girls," Meiling muttered, scowling at her skirt. She turned to Syaoran. "Right. How much do you like this cousin of yours, Li? Not as much as she likes you, I'm guessing. Normally I would've picked you, but I don't like the scent of you, frankly."

"Release Meiling," Syaoran growled.

"Yeah, that's not happening anytime soon," Meiling replied. "Not until me and my body are back home, safe and sound. Now, are you going to cooperate, or do I have to make you two fight each other? And trust me, I wouldn't be taking any damage, if that's what you're thinking."

Syaoran hesitated. Meiling wouldn't mind a few bruises in the name of saving her, but she was bound to take being burned, electrocuted, or having limbs broken personally. That severely limited his options.

"You think it over. I'll be going home now." Meiling walked over to Touya's body and carefully picked it up with one hand. "Okay, maybe this body has some good points…"

"Why didn't I sense this power in you earlier?" Syaoran asked quietly.

"Unlike you, I don't go around showing off. There's something to be said for subtlety. I mean, if I'd told you I could do this up front…and that's assuming you HADN'T blown up my job, so I even COULD tell you…would you have let me live?"

They both knew the answer, so neither bothered with saying it.

"Anyway, come on," Meiling sighed.

"What?" Syaoran asked blankly.

Meiling rolled her eyes. "Your cousin's scared. She'd really appreciate it if you came along. For some reason, she doesn't trust me."

"I wonder why."

* * *

Kinomouto Fujitaka was, quite honestly, an exceptional parent. He had exceptional children, and as such, he expected exceptional things from them.

This was the first night that both had managed to be late for dinner, and without calling first, no less.

A less than exceptional parent might have been angry, or at least concerned, but not Fujitaka. No, he was much more open-minded, considering how rare such occurrences were. Touya was perfectly capable of looking out for himself, and had been since he was seven years old. Sakura…well, her friends were somewhat capable of looking out for her in most instances, and she was rarely ever without at least one. Fujitaka liked to think of them as the smarter girls in bad horror movies. The ones that ran away screaming at the slightest signs of trouble. As opposed to the ones that got curious and ventured directly into danger, or the ones that were constantly tripping and sealing their own fates, anyway. Honestly, it was about the best he could expect from them, all things considered.

Suddenly, the phone rang. Probably Sakura, full of apologies for being late with the call. Touya would probably walk in while she was still on the phone.

Fujitaka picked up the phone and got a slight surprise. "Kinomouto resi-

"Dad? Sorry I'm late. Some punk kids blew up the ice cream shop, and I had to…ah, hold on…"

The unfamiliar female voice was interrupted by what seemed to be quite a bit of scuffling.

"Touya?" Fujitaka ventured.

"Yeah, it's me. I had to body snatch one of them. Anyway, I'm gonna be late. Oh, and I'm bringing a, um…super special guest."

"Ah. I'll prep the guest room, then."

"Thanks. Sakura made it home yet? The freaks are out in full force tonight, it seems."

"No, actually," Fujitaka responded.

"Huh. Weird. You check Tomoyo's house yet?"

"Was just about to, actually."

"Probably another impromptu sleepover she forget to call you about," Touya…rather, Touya in someone else's body, reasoned.

"Probably," Fujitaka agreed calmly.

"It'll be another thirty minutes before I get back, give or take a few."

"That's fine. We'll talk more then."

Fujitaka hung up the phone, a thoughtful frown on his face. Sakura was probably fine. There was no real need to worry. She never got into trouble, not even Tomoyo had managed that yet.

And yet…Fujitaka didn't want to sit there and wait for her call. He felt the need to do…something. He would never admit it aloud, but Sakura held his heart in her hands, and he just had to know for sure that nothing had happened to her.

Anyway, it was the perfect excuse to call his wife.

Fujitaka went upstairs and entered the master bedroom. He stood before the mirror on the wall, staring into its depths with reverence and a hint of disgust. Raising his index finger to his mouth, he bit down hard enough to draw blood. Slowly, he trailed the finger along the mirror's border, ancient runes becoming visible in its wake. He murmured the old words of summoning, and waited patiently.

The surface of the mirror was filled with blinding light, and he turned his head away until the light faded. When he looked back, he was staring into the face of his late wife.

"Darling," he murmured, brushing his fingers over the cool surface, wishing it were her actual face.

She repeated the gesture, her smile warm and inviting. "Beloved." Her hand slowly lowered, full lips forming a playful smirk. "It's ten fifteen, Fujitaka. Do you know where our children are?"

He chuckled awkwardly and rubbed the back of his head. "Actually, I was hoping you could help me with that…"

* * *

Next Chapter: Home Sweet Home

Sakura goes home, only to find her father wants to have "The Talk" with her. Only, it's not the one she's expecting…


	4. Home Sweet Home

Chapter 4: Home Sweet Home

"Kero-chan. Come out here at once. I want to talk to you."

Trying his best not to shudder, Kero slowly crawled out from under the pillow. "Yes, Frieza-sama?"

"Yue assured me that you could both transform," Frieza said coldly, his eyes narrowing. "Yet, for some reason, you haven't transformed."

"Ah…well, you see…I…"

"Either you transform right now, or I will become very…very…displeased. You don't want me to become displeased, Kero-chan. Very few creatures have survived my displeasure."

Kero wracked his brain for a solution, but the only thing he could come up with was…well…

"THE SUN!" Kero shrieked abruptly. "I NEED THE POWER OF THE SUN!"

Frieza frowned at him. "You are trying my patience, Kero-chan. There's plenty of sunlight here."

"It…it's not normal sunlight I'm referring to, Frieza-sama. I need…mystical sunlight! From the…village of…" Kero paused, trying to think of the most ridiculous image possible. "The village of the dragon's balls!"

Frieza's eyes widened. "The Dragonballs! You know about them?"

Kero's heart sank. "Uh…well, I need them to…transform, and…"

"Say no more. We've already begun searching for the legendary Dragonballs. I am told they can be found on a backwater planet called Namek."

"Oh. Really? That's…great," Kero mumbled. Something told him he'd be dead within the week.

* * *

Nadeshiko opened her eyes. "You have nothing to fear, beloved," she assured her husband. "Touya is annoyed, but otherwise fine. Sakura is exhausted, but safe. She's with Tomoyo again. Let them sleep for now."

Fujitaka beamed at her. "You're a life saver, as always, my dear. I'd be lost without you."

"It was nothing," Nadeshiko said, blushing prettily. "There is…a more serious matter to attend to, however."

"You sensed it as well?"

"Of course. A mother always knows these things. Our little Sakura is becoming a young woman. I think it's time you had…The Talk."

"So soon?" Fujitaka asked in surprise. "She's still so young…"

"These things have a way of choosing their own timeframes, beloved. Besides, we both know your side of the family tends to mature a bit early, more often than not."

"You're right again. I just…it's hard to see her as anything else. She's my little girl."

"And she always will be. But she's already started growing into her powers, and neither of us can stop that. The best thing you can do is to get The Talk over with now. The longer you wait, the more confused she'll be. You must tell her, beloved. As soon as she comes home. Trust me on this."

"Very well. But I'm worried about how she'll take it. You remember how disappointed Touya was at first?"

"He got over it. He's a strong boy. Sakura will adjust. And you'll be there to help her. There's nothing to worry about."

"Yes, there is," Fujitaka sighed. "With Touya…I still had you here."

Nadeshiko smiled sadly. "If Sakura ever really needs me, you both know where I am. Beyond that, you'll have to depend on each other. You're a better parent than you know, beloved. Because of you, Sakura still knows me. Because of you, we're still a family. Don't underestimate yourself. I've seen you do great things. Surely you can continue to raise our daughter as well as you have so far. Now then, is our time almost up?"

Fujitaka blinked, noticing that the blood on the mirror's border had almost completely disappeared. "Yes. I can never keep track of it when I'm talking to you."

"That's why I do," Nadeshiko reminded him. She raised her hand in farewell. "You'll do fine. I believe in you. Always."

Fujitaka waved back as her face receded, the surface of the mirror clouding over, and then growing dark.

He sighed and turned away, a thoughtful look on his face. "The Talk. I hope you really are ready for it, Sakura…"

* * *

"You live here?" Syaoran asked in mild surprise as he stared at what was clearly a dungeon, complete with stone walls, various instruments of torture, and suspicious red stains here and there.

"I had to bring you in through the back way," Meiling answered distractedly, propping Touya's body against the wall and moving to the center of the room. "You want your cousin back or not?"

Eyes narrowing, Syaoran quickly moved towards his possessed cousin.

"Might want to hold onto her. They tend to faint when I'm done."

Sure enough, a second later, Meiling collapsed into Syaoran's waiting arms.

Which is why he was completely unprepared when the section of floor surrounding his feet turned bright red, revealing a glowing circle that covered much of the room.

"Sucker," Touya chuckled as he stood up and brushed himself off.

Syaoran glared at him. "Fool. No mere sealing circle can contain me."

"Ah, but this one's not made to contain you. It's made to protect you, and keep people like me out. Of course, to really be effective, it has to keep you in there. So either way, you're trapped. If you're quiet, I might even bring you a dinner that's not completely charred." With that, Touya turned and strode out of the dungeon, whistling an upbeat tune.

Carefully lowering Meiling to the floor, Syaoran tried to exit the circle, as he reached the edge, he was gently but firmly pushed back by an invisible force.

Scowling, he sat down to wait for Meiling to regain consciousness. Surely the circle wouldn't hold up to their combined efforts. Of course, he'd already underestimated Touya once, and something told him this family was going to be nothing but trouble.

* * *

"You're sure you're okay, Sakura-chan?" Tomoyo said, poking her head out of the limousine window. "I could walk you to your door. Or maybe-"

Sakura placed her hands on the car door to keep her best friend from climbing out. "I'm fine, Tomoyo-chan, really. I can make it up my own driveway. Besides, I'm going to be in for a stern talking to for staying out all night without calling. I don't want you to see that."

Tomoyo rolled her eyes. "Oh, please. Your dad's the nicest guy in the world. He'll probably just give you a cookie and tell you not to do it again."

"I'm going to be in some trouble, at least," Sakura insisted. "I'll call you later, okay? Assuming I don't get grounded or anything."

"Yeah, right!" Tomoyo laughed. Her smile faded a bit as she stared at her friend. "Sakura-chan?"

"What is it?"

"I still trust you," Tomoyo said quietly, reaching out to give her hand a squeeze. "Just so you know."

"Thanks," Sakura replied, but her smile seemed a bit off.

Tomoyo tugged her closer and gently kissed Sakura's cheek. "I really do," she whispered.

Sakura stood there for a long moment, watching the limo pull away from the curb and head down the street. She sighed softly and slowly walked to her front door, wondering what kind of mood her father might be in. Tomoyo had a point, but Sakura had never been this late before. She fished out her key and had it an inch from the door when it suddenly flew open.

"Hey, dingbat," Touya greeted with a yawn. He tousled her hair roughly and practically shoved her into the house. "Dad, she's back!" he shouted, clearly hoping she'd get into big trouble.

Sakura shot him a glare as she went into the kitchen, where her father was just finishing his coffee. "Morning, tousan!" she said brightly, hurrying over to kiss his cheek. "Sorry I'm late, but Tomoyo and I lost track of time, and-"

"Sakura," her father interrupted gently, his voice calm. "There is something that we should discuss. After you've helped your brother clear the table, that is."

Even though he didn't sound angry, Sakura knew her father was serious. "Yes, tousan," she said quietly, lowering her head.

He tenderly cupped her cheek and kissed her forehead. "Don't worry, it's not about you staying out all night without checking in, although I hope you won't repeat that in the near future."

"No, tousan," Sakura assured him, a little surprised. If she wasn't in trouble, then why the talk? Feeling a bit better, she stuck her tongue out at Touya and began to clear the table.

* * *

"Oooh…I feel weird," Meiling murmured, looking a bit green.

"Having a stranger inside you can do that," Syaoran said absently.

"Ew…and he was a BOY," Meiling moaned miserably. "I'll probably feel icky for a month, at least!"

"Even longer, if we have to keep eating this odd food," he grumbled, poking at the plate in front of him.

"It's not so bad," Meiling disagreed, picking up a strangely-shaped tart and nibbling on the edges. "This one almost tastes like eel. If you don't want yours…"

Wordlessly, Syaoran slid his plate over to her.

Meiling blew him a noisy kiss before going back to the food, making little delighted noises whenever she came across something else that she liked. Apparently, she wasn't too ill to keep from stuffing her face.

They had bigger problems, anyway. True to Touya's word, the sealing circle was keeping them in, and everyone else out. Touya had returned regularly with trays of food, which he slid across the floor to them. Not that Syaoran had eaten any of it, in case it was tainted somehow. Of course, with Meiling eating both of their meals, she'd probably be of no use to him if the food were drugged. It was hard enough trying to devise an escape plan at all, but without making use of Meiling's strength, it was just short of impossible.

Suddenly, it occurred to Syaoran that he was the only one trying to escape. Meiling hadn't seemed all that disappointed when his previous attempts failed, and she actually looked forward to the food. If he didn't need her assistance to escape, the thought of leaving her there would've been very appealing. Yet, she was family, and more importantly, the most cooperative partner he'd had in some time. If anything happened to her, he'd wind up working alongside one of his sisters again, and that would be even worse.

There was also the insignificant but nagging matter of loyalty. Whether Meiling was family or not, they had grown up together, and if Syaoran had to be stuck with anyone, he would much rather it be her than anyone else. For all her quirks, Meiling had never failed him when he'd truly needed her help. Nor had she ever entertained even the slightest notion of seriously abandoning him. There were times, in fact, when Syaoran would've preferred that she were a bit less clingy. But even that had certain…advantages, he knew.

"Meiling," Syaoran said quietly to his cousin. "If you can manage to get us out of this circle, I will give you something."

"Like what?" Meiling asked, only mildly interested.

He sighed. "A kiss."

Instantly, Meiling dropped the food in her hands. "Anywhere I want?" she demanded eagerly.

Syaoran admirably suppressed a frown. "Yes," he managed to get out through gritted teeth.

Needing no further prodding, Meiling gave the circle beneath them her full attention, studying it for possible weak points.

Syaoran closed his eyes and waited. He had not found any magical means of escape, but if there were any other way, Meiling would find it now. And so what if he had to give her a single kiss? As she was so fond of pointing out, one day they would be married, and he'd have to kiss her then.

Six minutes later, there came the muffled sound of something slamming into and breaking through solid rock.

Syaoran was not at all surprised to see Meiling brushing dust and pebbles from her hands as the circle dimmed and finally faded away.

"Just needed a woman's touch," Meiling commented casually.

Before Syaoran could reply, the walls took on the same red glow that had been present in the former circle.

"That an alarm?" Meiling asked, cracking her knuckles.

He sighed. "No, Meiling. That is yet another trap."

"Ah. So it's the old 'trap-within-a-trap' fix, huh? Can you do anything with it?"

"Not until I've fed properly," Syaoran admitted. "It seems we'll be here a while after all."

"Well then, we've got plenty of time."

"For what?" he asked warily.

"For my kiss," Meiling replied happily. "I've just decided where I want it."

"I don't suppose it's somewhere that's currently exposed?"

Meiling grinned wickedly at him. "Not even close, my dear Syaoran."

* * *

While Sakura knew she was always welcome in her parents' bedroom, she did her best to stay away from it. This was not because there was anything about the room that bothered her, though: far from it, in fact. It was just that this room was the only place where her family could truly be complete anymore, and to Sakura, this made it a place of warmth, but a place of reverence as well. Touya and her father knew and accepted this about her, and so they never encouraged her to go inside unless it was a special occasion or a family emergency.

Sakura was understandably a little confused when Touya told her that their father was waiting for her, in that room. She had been expecting some sort of punishment, even if it was only as slight as Tomoyo had suspected. But if the matter weren't that serious, then why discuss it there?

The question haunted Sakura's mind as she climbed the stairs and walked to the end of the hall, pausing before the open door. She could see her father inside, standing before her mother's mirror. At first, she thought she might've interrupted a conversation, but when there were no voices, she realized he was merely staring into the mirror, a contemplative expression on his face.

"Tousan?" Sakura asked quietly as she walked into the room.

He blinked and turned to face her with his familiar smile. "Ah, Sakura. Sit down, please."

Sakura sat on the edge of the bed, more curious than ever. Surely if he were smiling, this couldn't be that bad, could it?

"There are…certain things every parent should, at some point, discuss with their child," he began.

At once, Sakura relaxed. "Oh, tousan, you don't need to, really! Tomoyo told me all about drugs and sex, so you wouldn't have to."

Her father stared at her for a long moment, perhaps trying to decide if his daughter having such a worldly best friend was a blessing or a curse. Finally, he continued: "Ah. That's…convenient, but not quite what I wanted to talk about."

"Oh…it's not?" Sakura asked, now even more confused. "I was so sure that's what it was…"

"This is something that relates more to your…that is, our heritage. Something that will no doubt change the way you see the world."

"I…I'm not sure I understand what you mean, tousan."

He paused, searching for the words, and then apparently gave up entirely. "Sakura, we're not human."

Sakura was well aware that her father had said some odd things from time to time, as parents did, but this was something else entirely. For one thing, he seemed a bit too serious about it. Almost as if…

Almost as if it were TRUE.

It took Sakura approximately three seconds to absorb this information, and five more to form the question she wanted to ask.

That was all made futile by the fact that it only took her father two seconds to transform.

"What are you EEEEK!" Sakura shrieked, her hands flying to her mouth.

The creature that stood before her bore almost no resemblance to the father she knew. It was a solid mass of purple muscle, six batwings darker than night itself, and topped off by three thick horns of varying length and color.

It was probably the most horrible thing Sakura had ever seen in her short life.

Yet…as she stared up into what passed for its eyes, she remembered the nights when she'd fallen asleep on her father's chest, cradled safely in his arms, dreaming of her mother. The urge to scream, to flee, to be afraid at all faded rapidly, replaced by an overwhelming feeling of sadness.

Sakura slowly stood up and closed the distance between them, carefully wrapping her arms around her father's waist (avoiding hitting the wings as best she could). "I know it's still you in there, tousan."

"I'm very happy to hear you say that, Sakura," he said, placing a hand on her head.

She blinked, only somewhat relieved to see he had returned to…normal, supposedly. Although, it was much more likely that that…thing he had just been WAS normal, for him.

Maybe even for her, too.

"Did kaasan know about this?" Sakura asked hesitantly.

"Yes. She's not human, either."

"Then…what are we?"

Her father visibly relaxed. "Interestingly enough, there isn't just a single answer to that. I, of course, am a demon, as you saw. Your mother is an angel. We can both assume forms that allow us to appear human. It was really the only comfortable way to…well, to conceive you and your brother."

"Does he know?"

He nodded. "It became necessary to tell Touya while you were still a baby. He had what he thought was a reoccurring rash on his back."

"Oh? What was it, really?"

Her father shrugged. "His wings were coming in early."

Sakura gasped. "Touya has wings?"

"Yes. I'm sure he'd be glad to show them to you. He's hated not being able to talk freely about these things. His wings aren't like mine, though. He takes after your mother."

"So…wait. What does all this make me?"

"It's complicated. You see, unions between your mother's and my…people aren't particularly popular, so there's no real term for what you and Touya are. Your mother just likes to think of you as…mixed."

"But am I an angel or a demon?" Sakura wanted to know.

"Neither and both. Though I suspect as you mature, you will become more demon than angel, just as Touya has become more angel than demon. These things have a way of balancing themselves out, after all."

"Does this mean that I'm…evil?" Sakura asked softly.

"Not necessarily. I admit, many demons have fairly strong inclinations to be evil. You are more fortunate; since you have a portion of your mother in you, you at least have a chance of choosing where you stand. Wherever you choose, however, you will have to live with that choice, and more than likely while being recognized as a demon. So I urge you to be very careful about who you reveal your true origin to."

"Then does this mean I can't have friends anymore?"

"No. It only means that if you plan on keeping them, you'll have to start lying convincingly. I would suggest having no more than two or three confidantes. And if you are going to tell someone you know the truth, you had better do it quickly. Information of this nature tends to hurt worse the longer it is kept from a loved one."

* * *

:"You two are really becoming more trouble than you're worth," Touya sighed. "Maybe Dad doesn't mind feeding you, but I do. So why don't you tell me what it is that you're after, and I might even let you go."

Meiling scowled at him. "And why should we trust you, you body snatcher?"

Touya's left eye twitched. "Hey, YOU ambushed ME. You're lucky I'm being civil at all. Last chance. Either you start talking, or we stop feeding you and see what happens."

She looked as if she were about to shoot off another insult, but was cut off by her companion.

"Enough, Meiling. We're out of options at this point." Syaoran focused his attention on Touya. "We seek the Majin Book. Do you know of it?"

"Never heard of it," Touya replied after a moment's thought. "Now if you two plan to keep walking and never look back, I'll consider letting you go. Otherwise, you can rot down here for all I care."

He didn't miss the way Meiling flinched at the mention of rotting, though Syaoran didn't react at all.

"Agreed," Syaoran said quietly. "If the Majin Book is not here, we have no reason to stay."

"Best news I've heard all day. I'll drop you off where I found you. After that, I never want to see either of your bratty faces in Tomoeda again. Maybe I can't destroy you, but as you've seen, I can inconvenience the hell out of you."

* * *

As a rule, Tomoyo's door was open to Sakura at any and every hour. It was not a rule that Sakura took advantage of often, considerate as she was, but Tomoyo wasn't going to pass up any opportunity to be near (or touch) her friend.

Tomoyo was therefore a little surprised, but not unpleasantly so, when Sakura turned up just before midnight. The troubled look on Sakura's face told Tomoyo all she needed to know, and without a word, she guided Sakura up to her bedroom. They could worry about how long Sakura planned on staying later. In fact, the longer Tomoyo avoided asking, the more likely Sakura would be too sleepy to refuse an invitation to stay.

"So…was your father upset?" Tomoyo asked once they were in her room.

Sakura shook her head as she sat down on Tomoyo's bed. "No. I wasn't punished at all."

"Then what's wrong, Sakura-chan? You look so sad." Tomoyo sat down behind Sakura and began to expertly knead the stress from her shoulders.

"We've been best friends for a long time now, haven't we, Tomoyo-chan?" Sakura murmured.

"Almost as long as I can remember," Tomoyo replied, a little confused. "Why?"

"I…I can tell you anything, can't I?" Sakura turned her head slightly to catch Tomoyo's eye.

"Of course," Tomoyo responded at once. "Whatever it is, you can tell me."

"It's going to sound crazy, but…I think it's really true. And…I want to be truthful with you, Tomoyo-chan. I trust you, and I need you to trust me back, especially now that…that I'm changing like I am."

"Oh, you're not changing, Sakura-chan," Tomoyo said, draping her arms around Sakura's neck. "You're still the sweet girl you've always been. I've been thinking, and maybe it was some kind of weird allergies. We don't know where Buu's been, after all."

Sakura turned around so that she was facing her best friend. "That's not it. My father told me we're not normal, any of us." She paused, biting her lip nervously. "Tomoyo-chan…I'm half demon."

Tomoyo stared at her blankly.

"I know, you don't believe me, but it's true. And there's more. Buu has the ability to boost magical powers. Because I'd never used mine before, I couldn't control them, they sort of…controlled me, I think. But now that I know about them, Touya can teach me how to use them, so I can keep helping Buu get his cards. Oh, and I have to do that, it's my duty as a Kinomouto to guard the Majin Book, so that it's not used for unauthorized malice. I think that's the right word, anyway."

Tomoyo blinked a few times. "Then…your father is a demon?"

Sakura nodded.

"Oh. Well…" Tomoyo laughed nervously. "I guess it's good he never gets mad, huh? But, didn't your mother ever find out?"

"She knew when she met him," Sakura explained.

"And she was okay with that?" Tomoyo asked incredulously.

"Not at first. But he didn't mind her being an angel, so-"

"Wait! They met after she died?"

Sakura stared at her before realizing that Tomoyo was under some wrong impressions. "Oh, no, Tomoyo-chan. Angels aren't human. They're two different species. They can look human when they want to, though. Demons can, too. I guess that's why I look this way."

"But...then…you're not human…at all?" Tomoyo asked.

"No, I'm not," Sakura sighed, looking away. "Please don't think I've been lying to you all this time. I just found out today, and I'm still trying to figure it all out."

"I see," Tomoyo said in a small, strained voice.

"I'll understand if…if you don't want to be friends anymore," Sakura whispered. "It's just…I'm really going to miss you. I thought you should know that."

When several minutes went by with no answer, Sakura slowly stood up and headed for the door, wiping the start of tears from her eyes.

"Are you going to have a tail?" Tomoyo asked abruptly as Sakura reached the door.

"What?"

"Are you going to grow a tail?" Tomoyo rephrased.

"Oh. Maybe. Why?" Sakura asked uncertainly.

"Because if I'm going to need to make tailholes in your costumes, I'd like some advance notice." Tomoyo grabbed a notepad and pen from her nightstand and began scribbling furiously on it, her eyes narrowed in thought. "Maybe if I take the sequined thong off of this one…"

"Tomoyo-chan?" Sakura whispered in her ear.

"And if I put this here…oh, did you say something, Sakura-chan? Move the leather over there…"

Sakura gently laid her hand over Tomoyo's. "Does this mean…we're still friends?"

Tomoyo paused and turned to look at her. "Well, yes."

"So you're not…angry? Or afraid? Or freaked out?"

"Maybe if you'd told me this before I met Buu and saw you flip out in the park. Now…it just makes sense, actually. All this time, I just thought you were really lucky to have such a cool family. But no, it turns out you guys aren't human instead. I wondered how Touya always knew exactly what I wanted on my birthday. And no matter what Mom does, she can't figure out how to make better sugar cookies than your dad's."

"I'm so glad you're okay with this. I don't know what I'd do if I had to go through this without my best friend."

"Lucky you, you'll never know," Tomoyo replied. "Now, how do you feel about spandex?"

* * *

Next Chapter: Little Girls, Big Trouble

Sakura finds herself in a tight spot when she has to take on three Cards at once.


	5. Little Girls, Big Trouble

Chapter 5: Little Girls, Big Trouble

"Give me the Dragonballs, and I may decide to let you live."

Kero wished he were anywhere but perched on Frieza's shoulder as the Changeling delivered the ultimatum to the Nameks. From what little he'd seen, the green people were fairly peaceful, modest, but proud. More than likely, they wouldn't like being told to give up their national treasure.

One of the elder Nameks stepped forward, his skin a dull green and extra wrinkly. "You will not find what you seek here, monster. Leave our planet at once."

"Oh, dear," Frieza murmured, smiling. "I think we have a little situation. Yue, show them how we handle those."

Kero wasn't sure what he expected Yue to do. But his eyes widened in alarm as Yue stretched out his hand, forming a giant crystal.

The elderly Namek looked somewhat impressed, but did not move otherwise.

Yue stared coldly at him. "If you are not with Lord Frieza," he said quietly, "then you are not...anything at all."

The elder Namek didn't even have time to scream as hundreds of crystal shards pierced his body in an instant. He slumped lifelessly to the ground amidst the horrified cries of his people.

"Suddenly, I'm bored," Frieza sighed. "Yue, amuse me."

"Yes, Sire." Yue turned on the rest of the Nameks, who shrank back in fear. "Consider yourselves fortunate. You will die for the amusement of Lord Frieza. I encourage you to scream."

Kero shut his eyes tightly and covered his ears, but that just seemed to make the dying screams even louder...

* * *

"Why do I have to do it?" Touya had asked upon hearing the request. "Shouldn't you be the one?"

"Perhaps," his father had replied. "Your sister needs both of us, Touya. She is afraid. Now, more than ever, she needs your guidance and support. I am only her father. You are the one she looks up to."

It was pure, sappy, emotional garbage, and Touya knew it, but it sounded so convincing when his father said it (as did everything else), and he found himself agreeing (as he invariably did).

That was why, roughly an hour later, he was walking along the beach with Sakura, trying to think of what he would say and do. Usually his best thoughts came to him when he walked along the shoreline at night, but this time, his mind was blank. Perhaps he'd been looking forward to Sakura being in on the family secret for so long that he hadn't consciously made any effort to prepare either of them for it.

Sakura didn't seem to mind the silence, though. Either she was just happy to be at the beach, or she was happy to be at the beach with him, or she was just happy, period.

"You know why we're here?" he asked abruptly.

His sister paused and turned to look up at him. "No..." she admitted.

Touya sighed. "I'm supposed to tell you...things. About you. Us. Uh, the family. And-"

"Can I see your wings?" Sakura blurted out.

He blinked. "Sure...I mean, NO," he corrected himself, trying to sound firm. "Stop interrupting me, and then we'll see."

Sakura pouted cutely, but he largely ignored that.

"Now, first of all, let's see if you have any wings."

She looked stumped. "But I don't know how to-"

"Lift up your shirt."

Her face turned bright red. "Niichan!" she cried in shock.

Touya rolled his eyes. "Turn around, and THEN lift up your shirt."

"Oh...okay," Sakura said slowly, turning and exposing her back.

Shaking his head, Touya knelt behind her, yanking her shirt up a little higher so he could see properly, and earning an indignant squeal of protest. "Quiet, I'm trying to concentrate."

Neither of them said anything for several moments.

"Well?" Sakura asked when she thought she'd waited long enough.

"Hold on," Touya muttered, lifting his hand and tracing a path along her spine.

Sakura wiggled away from him. "Niichan, that tickles!"

"You've got room for them," Touya said, pulling her shirt back down, "but we won't know for sure unless they come in. You shouldn't wear anything you're really fond of for the next few days, unless you want two big holes in it."

"What about a tail?" Sakura asked.

"I'm not checking for that," Touya replied at once, his face practically glowing red.

"No, I mean...do you think I'll get one?"

"Maybe. I don't have one, but I take after Mom, so-"

"Do you think she'll be disappointed?" Sakura asked softly, her voice trembling.

Touya stared down at her. "Why would she be?"

"You know. That I'm not like her? And you?"

"Oh, that. Nah, she wouldn't care." He waited until her face lit up to add, "Even though you are a dingbat."

Sakura let out a frustrated shriek and flung herself at him, but Touya easily held her back with a hand on her forehead, yawning all the while.

"Now THIS would disappoint anyone," he sighed, once she gave up.

Sakura stuck her tongue out at him.

"Anyway, once you manage a more complete transformation, we'll worry about teaching you to hide your true form. That part's easy."

"Can I see your wings now?" Sakura pleaded.

"Yeah, okay. Stand back, unless you want to get hit. On second thought, stay where you are."

Sakura glared at him and backed up a few feet.

Touya took a deep, cleansing breath, closed his eyes, and summoned his most powerful experience, as his mother had taught him to. He could still see it so clearly: only taking his eyes off of his baby sister for a few minutes, the horror at finding she had somehow climbed the tallest tree in the yard, the way his heart skipped a beat as she slipped from the branch. Though he clearly remembered the pair of sharp pains in his back and the sound of his flesh ripping itself apart, there was no pain now. Even so, he could feel his eyes dampening as he saw himself cradling Sakura close, promising that he would never let her fall again. As if she'd understood, she'd patted his cheeks with her chubby hands and given him a very wet kiss on the nose.

He heard Sakura gasp, and opened his eyes to find her staring at him, her mouth wide open even as a cyclone of silky, white feathers danced around them. Touya reached over and gently shut her mouth before any feathers could find their way in.

"Niichan," Sakura breathed, clasping her hands together, "you really are an angel!"

Suddenly self-conscious, Touya folded his six wings neatly behind his back. "Let's go, it's getting late."

Sakura carefully caught a feather from the air, holding it before her face. "Can I keep it?" she asked hopefully.

"Yeah, whatever," Touya muttered, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "But don't think I'm going to want any of your...whatever you have."

She caught his arm as he started to walk away. "I told Tomoyo about us."

"Huh," Touya said, not really excited or upset about it. "How'd she take it?"

"Pretty good. She's designing a whole new line for my tail alone. If I get one, I mean."

"Great." He glanced down at her curiously as they walked. "You into boys yet?"

Sakura blushed and avoided his piercing gaze. "Why?"

"Just asking," he said calmly. "They're all pigs, you know."

"Even you?"

Touya snorted. "Especially me."

"So, what? I should be into girls?" Sakura asked jokingly.

He almost started to answer. Then he thought of what Tomoyo would do to him if she ever found out that he'd been the one that turned Sakura off of the idea of being with another girl.

"Eh, just keep an open mind," Touya muttered at last.

Sakura gave him an odd look. "What's that mean, niichan?"

"Exactly what I said, dingbat," he replied, chuckling as she smacked his arm.

* * *

"Mother, I need to talk to you."

Daidouji Sonomi looked up from her work as her daughter stepped into her office. Without hesitation, she slid her papers to the side, since Tomoyo knew better than to interrupt unless she had a real problem. "What is it?"

"It's about Sakura," Tomoyo sighed, sitting in a chair in front of her mother's desk.

"She finally told you?" Sonomi asked.

Tomoyo blinked. "Told me?"

"That she was a half-demon?"

Tomoyo nearly fell out of her chair. "How did you...?"

"Oh, come now, dear," Sonomi laughed. "As close as Nadeshiko and I were, did you really think I wouldn't know what she was? I was not without my own secrets, after all. We had that in common, and I suppose it's why we got along so well."

"But...wait, what secret?" Tomoyo asked.

"It's easier to show you, not to mention more fun." Sonomi tapped the intercom on her desk. "Clifford, could you come in here, please?"

"What does the new butler have to do with this?"

"You'll see."

Clifford, a tall, thin, balding man hurried in a moment later. "What can I do for you, ladies?"

Sonomi smiled pleasantly at him. "Drop your pants and dance for us, Clifford."

The man stared at her in complete disbelief. "Ah...excuse me?"

"Mother, you can't possibly expect-" Tomoyo began, but Sonomi waved her into silence.

"Clifford," Sonomi said softly, her eyes taking on a red glow, "wouldn't it be nice if you were to drop your pants and dance for me?"

Tomoyo gasped as Clifford practically ripped off his belt, his pants falling around his ankles. She had to cover her eyes when he began to shuffle back and forth to a beat only he could hear, though.

Sonomi watched for a few moments before speaking again. "That was very nice of you, Clifford. Now, I suspect it would be a very good idea if you pulled up your pants, went to the nearest bathroom, and straightened up a bit."

At once, Clifford yanked up his pants and stumbled out of the room.

"Mother...what was that?" Tomoyo whispered.

"Words can be powerful, dear," Sonomi answered. "Especially when you've got a bit of succubus blood in the family. Not enough to always get results, mind you. But enough that asking nicely is often all you need to get a bit of fun now and then."

"Are you saying that I could...?"

"Oh, yes. Only, remember to form your desires as polite suggestions. And if you're thinking of trying this out on Sakura, I'd have to advise against it. She's probably resistant to your charms, and if she found out what you were up to, she might take it the wrong way."

Tomoyo pouted. "But what's the point if I can't use it on her?" she whined.

"I know, dear," Sonomi said sympathetically. "That's the worst thing about true love. You have to play by its rules."

* * *

Syaoran was a quiet person by nature. He did not normally speak unless he had something important to say. Today, though, he was a bit too quiet. Something was bothering him, and there was only one way to find out what.

"What is it, Syaoran?" Meiling asked, touching his shoulder. "I know you're upset."

Syaoran blinked and looked at her. "Oh?"

Meiling smiled and slid closer to him on the bench, patting his knee. "I know you, Syaoran. Tell me."

"I'm thinking...I am a fool."

"And why is that?"

He scowled and looked at the ground. "That...boy. He treated us like children. We, the descendants of the great and powerful Clow Reed, imprisoned and humiliated like common filth!"

"Is that all?" she asked patiently.

"No. I have the strangest feeling...that he tricked us."

"Tricked us how?"

"I was certain that I sensed the magic of the Majin Book in Tomoeda."

"But we looked. You didn't sense it anymore, right?" Meiling asked. "So maybe it's only near Tomoeda, and not actually in it. Or maybe it was moved."

"Perhaps the Book was no longer being used. It might be that the current owner sensed our approach."

"Well, we won't know where to go until you sense it again. I mean, it's the Majin Book, after all. Once it's been used, what are the chances it won't be used again soon? It attracts magical beings."

"Our efforts were blocked by a magical being, Meiling. One who happens to live in the same place where I first sensed the Book. Don't you think that's a bit too convenient?"

"Yes, but what can we do? He's not stronger than us, but he is clever. He'd just outsmart us again if we went back."

"Maybe I should go back alone. That way, he couldn't use you against me, and he said he wouldn't possess me because of my magic."

"No," Meiling said firmly. "We're a team, Syaoran. You promised. We do these things together, no matter what."

"And if this is our only chance to ever obtain the Book?"

"We'll just stay here until you sense the Book again. It shouldn't be long now."

Syaoran sighed. "Fine."

"Of course, maybe we could speed things along..." Meiling added, grinning at him.

He smiled darkly in approval. "It has been a while since you've done that, hasn't it?"

Meiling raised her left hand high into the air and formed a fist. Her lips twisting into a snarl, she plunged her fist into the ground, shouting, "Divine Fist Ouka!"

The earth practically split in half around the center of impact; a huge, jagged fissure opened up before the cousins, racing straight for Tomoeda.

"Well done, Meiling," Syaoran remarked.

Meiling beamed at her cousin as she brushed the dirt from her knuckles. "Thank you, Syaoran."

* * *

"What do you think, Buu? Can you fix it?"

Buu stared critically at the mess that had once been the ice cream parlor where Touya worked. Construction wasn't really his thing, but he could get by if he had to, and this was apparently one of those times.

"Buu fix," he decided at last, stretching his arms to get ready.

Sakura delightedly clapped her hands. "Really? That's great! Which cards do you need?" She began to open the Majin Book.

"No Card," Buu interrupted. "This one all Buu!"

"Oh? If you say so," Sakura said, closing the Book.

Buu narrowed his eyes and aimed his forelock at the debris. Pink lightning flew from his head and surrounded the mess, swirling it up into a pink tornado.

"Buu, you do remember that we're creating, not destroying?" Sakura shouted over the roar of the powerful winds.

Buu didn't answer as the tornado lifted from the ground, neatly turned upside down in mid-air, and settled gently back on the ground. At once, the winds died down, and Buu laughed to celebrate his latest creation.

Sakura stared at the newly constructed ice cream parlor. Looking at the building certainly made her think about ice cream, at least. But then, no one else would make the connection that the enormous, pink, pudgy, smiling face was actually Buu's head. They'd probably just think it was the top of a giant, swirled strawberry ice cream cone.

"Um...good work, Buu," Sakura said at last, forcing a smile. "I'm sure everyone will love it. Now Touya can get his job back!"

"And Buu get ice cream!" Buu cheered.

"I know I promised that, Buu, but you have to wait until the people come back to..." Sakura trailed off, frowning. "Do you hear something?"

Buu did indeed hear a certain rumbling, and looked down at his stomach suspiciously.

Sakura was still trying to figure out where the sound was coming from when the ground suddenly split apart under her feet. She gasped in shock as she started to fall into the gaping fissure that seemed to come out of nowhere.

Fortunately, Buu reacted faster, and grabbed the back of Sakura's shirt before she could disappear into the fissure. Though she was easily still at least twice his size, he had no trouble holding her weight.

"What is that?" Sakura asked, her voice trembling as Buu hovered a few feet above the ground.

"Bad magic," Buu replied, scowling.

"One of your cards?"

"No Card. Bad magic," Buu insisted.

"Okay, but...what do we do about it?"

"Buu fix. But Buu need more power first. Buu need more Cards for more power."

"How many more cards?" Sakura questioned, dreading the answer already.

"Two," Buu answered. "But Buu only sense one Card nearby. Card fight like two, though."

"Wonderful," Sakura sighed. "Lead the way, I guess." She pulled out her cell phone and quickly dialed home. "Niichan? I need your help with…what? Oh, you are NOT busy! You don't even have a job anymore! I'm trying to save the town here, and I can't do it by myself!"

* * *

Armed with the knowledge that she possessed some magic, Tomoyo was all too eager to test out her power of persuasion. Rather than set out with a target in mind, however, she decided to challenge herself with the first person that passed by her house.

This turned out to actually be two people: a boy and girl that looked remarkably alike, skipping along hand in hand.

Certain that she could at least get the boy's attention, Tomoyo quickly threw herself to the ground, as if she'd fallen and landed wrong on her ankle. Within moments, the twins came upon her.

"Oh, dear! I seem to fallen and twisted my ankle!" Tomoyo moaned. She turned her most distressing gaze on the two. "Won't you please help me?"

At once, the boy and girl rushed to her aid, picking her up and gently brushing off her clothes. Their hands seemed to wander and linger quite a bit, and Tomoyo knew she'd had her first success with her powers. She was so pleased, and enjoying the attention so much, that it didn't occur to her to stop them for some time.

Tomoyo was just wondering what she should do with them when she spotted Sakura heading straight for her, a panicked look on her face and Buu flying just over her left shoulder.

"Be careful, Tomoyo!" Sakura cried. "They're not people, they're more of Buu's cards!"

Tomoyo took another look at the pair. Since she hadn't made another suggestion yet, they were just standing there, eagerly awaiting her next order. "Could you maybe play dead for me?" she asked, batting her eyelashes for good measure.

Instantly, the twins dropped lifelessly to the ground.

"This is kinda fun," Tomoyo murmured just before Sakura ran up.

"Are you okay, Tomoyo-chan?" Sakura asked, hugging her best friend tightly.

"Just fine," Tomoyo replied, patting Sakura's cheek absently. "I don't think they wanted to hurt me."

"Oh? That's a relief." Sakura stared uncertainly at the pair. "How come they're just lying there?"

"Maybe they're tired?"

Buu eyed Tomoyo suspiciously, but said nothing.

"I guess you can just grab them, Buu," Sakura said.

Buu was just about to do so when a huge hand came out of nowhere and snatched up the twins.

Tomoyo gasped as a giant shadow fell over them, and looked up to find an enormous woman staring down at them.

"More Cards!" Buu shouted excitedly. "Three now!"

"Three? I only see two! You said those two were only one!" Sakura protested.

"Shouldn't we be running or fighting?" Tomoyo suggested, tugging hard on Sakura's arm.

"Oh, right. Buu, do you think you could do what you did before to me? But this time, make sure Tomoyo's safe, okay?"

Buu nodded. "Buu help! Buu keep girl safe!" He grabbed the back of Tomoyo's shirt and dragged her off, aiming his forelock as he went.

Sakura seemed ready for the pink bolt of lightning, and it didn't seem to hurt nearly as much as it had last time. Tomoyo was starting to hope that this time around might be easier on her friend overall.

At least, until she noticed that Sakura's feet, which had always been perfectly normal, were rapidly swelling, to the point where they tore her shoes to bits. Sakura didn't seem to mind all that much, as she was clearly preoccupied by the alarming amount of dark red fur that had covered her legs in the space of a few seconds.

Unfortunately, she was a little too preoccupied, because when the giant woman took another swipe at her, Sakura was still looking down.

Normally, Buu would've yanked Sakura out of the way…except, she'd asked him to keep Tomoyo safe, and in his mind, that was an order from his Master. Not that Buu was a stickler for the old rules, but in this particular case, he saw no reason to bite the hand that fed him. Anyway, Sakura had promised him ice cream, and Buu didn't want to do anything that might make her go back on her word. She didn't seem to be the deceitful type, but Buu had been fooled out of treats before.

So all the warning Sakura got was Tomoyo screaming, "MOVE!"

Even if Sakura's ears didn't hear Tomoyo in time, her new legs and feet did, apparently. Completely of their own volition, they tensed and propelled Sakura up into the air like a rocket, easily avoiding the giant's hand. Tomoyo had not been specific, however, and so Sakura didn't actually stop traveling upward until she'd cleared the giant woman's head.

Sakura was not as happy about this as one might've suspected. She was still trying to wrap her mind around the idea that she now had more hair on her legs than Touya probably did on his entire body. For the moment, she was pointedly ignoring the fact that her feet had tripled in size. She had to draw the line somewhere, after all. But it was around this time that she also became aware that she was really high up, with nothing beneath her, save for some monstrous additions to her body and way too much space.

There was really only one word that could sum up her current mood.

"AAAAAHHHGETMEDOWNGETMEDOWNPLEEEEEASE!"

Again, the feet were listening, because seconds later, Sakura was back on the ground, her hands clamped tightly over her eyes.

The giant woman, not quite sure what to make of all this, merely stared at Sakura for several long moments. Growing bored, she shrugged and raised her hand to take another swing. This time she connected, and Sakura went tumbling ungracefully down the street, her legs and feet returning to their normal state as she came to a stop.

"Ow…" Sakura moaned, slowly getting up. "Doing the right thing never used to hurt this much…"

A hand came down on her head. "You get in a magic fight, and the only thing you can think to do is take off your socks and shoes? You're going to make a lousy Majin Book holder, dingbat."

Sakura scowled and kicked Touya in the shin. "Where were you!"

"Hey, don't get mad at me. I'm doing you a favor. One day, you'll have to start taking care of things like this by yourself."

"Well, that day isn't today, so help me!" Sakura demanded. "Buu said there were three cards, and I haven't even learned all their names yet!"

Touya stared up at the giant woman. "This is just a guess, but I'd say one of them is definitely The Big. And it looks like she's holding The Twin. But that's only two…so where's the third?"

"I don't know! I'm having enough trouble fighting the one! I can't get my power to do what I want!"

"Oh, really? You're still not in control, then." Without warning, Touya aimed a kick at Sakura's bottom. Inches away from his target, something curled around his leg and yanked him off of his feet.

Sakura wasn't sure what surprised her more: that Touya was suddenly upside down, or that the reason for that was the long, thin, almost neon pink tail extending from her rear.

"Just like I thought," Touya sighed. "Your powers are reaction-based for now, so you can't consciously control them. Whenever your body decides you're in danger, it chooses whatever power it finds the most helpful at the moment. In other words, you might not be able to do anything until you get hurt."

"No problem there," Sakura muttered. "I can get hurt just fine. But what am I supposed to do with a tail?"

"Try thinking about what you want it to do. You can't choose your powers, but once they're activated, you should have some degree of control."

Sakura would've liked some time to test that theory, but she noticed that the giant woman was preparing for another attack. She conveniently forgot that her tail was still wrapped around Touya's leg, and the next thing she knew, her brother was flying through the air, where he landed neatly in the giant woman's free hand. "Oops…"

"Nice one, dingbat!" Touya shouted angrily.

"At least she can't hit me anymore," Sakura reasoned. She was almost pleased…until the giant woman raised a colossal foot high into the air. "Oh no…um…uh…BUU! I need you!"

Buu instantly appeared at her side. "Girl want Buu?"

"If you have any ideas about how to stop her, I'd really appreciate them right now!"

Sakura's attention was entirely on The Big, so she didn't see Buu's stomach expanding until it was nearly as big as she was. She did, however, feel something bump her from behind, but before Sakura got a chance to turn around, she had vanished into Buu's belly.

* * *

Syaoran's head jerked up, his eyes taking on a red glow. "Meiling! I sense a huge amount of Majin Magic!"

"You've found the Book?" Meiling asked at once.

He slowly shook his head, smiling darkly. "Even better. I've found Majin Buu!"

* * *

Next Chapter: Rebirth of Buu

With new powers, Buu tries to capture the three Cards, but Syaoran and Meiling are out to catch him…


End file.
